White As Snow
by TheBeardedBaroness
Summary: While training Korra, Katara looks back at the memories of 'Team Avatar' and the nostalgia she feels for the good old days.


Looking out of the window in my little room, I watched the snow falling in little tufts on the ground, forming a pure white sheet. Of course, it is always snowing in the South Pole. I should be used to it as it is my birth place. As far as I could see, there was snow everywhere and not a single blade of grass in sight. I have seen many beautiful places during my journey across the world sometimes wishing I could disappear there forever. Nobody would miss me much. Of course my children will mourn me but my grandchildren wouldn't be missing anything. You can't miss someone you never knew. All of my children are far away. I wanted a chance to get to know my grandchildren rather than reading about them. They seem like truly wonderful little kids. Those who would actually be devastated by my death are long gone. There are times when my thoughts turn dark, wishing I could be with them too. But my sane side takes control again and I chide myself for thinking such terrible things. After all, who would teach the new avatar water bending? I am, as they say, the best water bender alive. No one else is fit for this job.

The new Avatar is very…..tough. Her name is Korra. She knew she was the Avatar since she was a child. She taught herself Earth and Fire bending at the mere age of 5. She was a water bender, so I didn't teach her anything. I just showed her how to master it. You can't help but feel bad for the poor girl. Aang had given instructions to the White Lotus, and me of course, to teach her all four elements. I am sure he did not mean for her not to have any friends or any fun, for that matter. I have brought the subject up many times but after Aang's death, they believe that she should be trained hard and be made ready for the real world. But despite all this, she is independent with a good sense of humor, much like Aang. But the comparison stops there. While Aang was peaceful, sweet tempered and diffident, Korra is hot-tempered, impatient and headstrong. It is very difficult to believe that as sweet tempered as Aang got reincarnated into Korra. But whenever I see Korra, I feel a deep longing in my chest for Aang. Sometimes foolishly thinking that if she talked to Korra, it would be Aang talking, not the new avatar.

I really miss the good old days. Even if it meant running from the fire nation and flying on Appa all day. I remember the nights when we could forget our fears for a while and realize that we were young, strong and a whole new world to hope for. I sometimes forgot that we were not even of age, but Aang made me remember. He would joke around, ease all of the tension and frankly remind us that a life of freedom was possible. And my brother Sokka was the one who made all our plans possible (and if he were alive I would tell you not to mention I said this to him) If he wouldn't have been there, I and Aang would have been hopelessly lost. I should have said this to him. I would have heard the one last sarcastic comment he would ever give. But I was too overcome with sadness to do anything but cry. Right now, I would give anything just to hear his voice. His jokes were always the funniest. It's been a long while since I last heard one. I can't even remember the last time I laughed but I guess that is because of old age.

But sometimes only Korra can get a smile or two from me. Her tough personality and her masters' lack of patience can sometimes make me chuckle. It kinda reminds me of Toph. Tough and Toph were practically synonyms. Boy, was she one of a kind. After she joined our little group, I thought it would be nice to finally have a girl in the group. But Toph was never a girl. I initially did not like her but after lot of arguments; we became the best of friends. Her tough attitude towards life and her frank attitude made her a wonderful addition to 'Team Avatar', as Sokka called it. She was the best earth bender there was and in my opinion, the best there ever will be. When you learn that she is blind, helping her would have been the worst mistake you would ever make. People learned that the hard way. It was she who discovered metal bending. Now, you wouldn't find a single officer in Republic City who can't metal bend. Toph would never have wanted me think of her this way. She would have told me, "Suck it up, sweetness!"

Then there was Zuko. Zuko, who always had so much anger fuming inside him and who wanted nothing more than to 'regain his honor' as he put it. He did eventually gain his honor, but not the way he wanted. It took him a long time to realize who he really was. I initially did not trust after he joined our little team. Maybe because he tirelessly tried to capture Aang and made our life a lot more difficult than it should have been. His uncle was the only one who truly loved him and cared for him from his entire family. But he made up for everything he did to me when he helped me find my mother's killer. I decided I could forgive him and trust him after all. He wasn't so bad once you got to know him. His time as fire lord eventually passed and he died a very peaceful death. His one dying wish was to name his grand-son Iroh, after his uncle.

All of them lived so fully and fiercely, I sometimes try not to mourn their absence too hard. Whenever I feel myself going over the edge with pain and sadness, I just imagine all of them are with me again, right beside me. I feel a bit better but pain overcomes me when they have to leave. I am the last of Team Avatar and all there is left of it are memories. When I saw Korra in the avatar state, the bright gleam in her eyes, eyes that I had seen on a man who was so wise and powerful, I could imagine Aang smiling.

I am the last of Team Avatar and all there is left of it are memories. Memories, even our most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don't go along with that. Memories that I value the most, I don't see them fading.


End file.
